• Getting Dr. Dre to produce his entire album had Anderson .Paak feeling like "the prodigal son," as he put it, since it's rare that you'll find Dre overseeing an entire music project these days. "To see him so inspired and genuinely having fun with a project is really dope, because I don't feel like he's been this involved with a project probably since Eminem's first stuff," said Paak, 32, whose real name is Brandon Paak Anderson. That project is Oxnard, named after Anderson's California hometown. Released last month, it's the third volume in his "beach series," following 2014's Venice and 2016's Grammy-nominated Malibu. Anderson, an eclectic musician who blends funk, hip-hop and R&B, was featured on six songs from Dre's latest album, 2016's Compton. In recent years, Dre has become more famous for pushing the Beats by Dre headphones brand though his resume includes producing hits for Eminem, 50 Cent, Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and Eve, as well as launching his own multiplatinum albums. "I remember when we wrapped up [Dre] was like, 'Thank you, man. I know this is helping you, but it's also helping me a lot,'" Anderson said. "I feel like it gave him a spark again." Dre isn't the only famous name to appear on Oxnard, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, J. Cole, Q-Tip and Pusha T also are on the album. "I feel like there are a lot of features, but it didn't feel like a lot of features. It was almost like, 'Oh, shoot -- surprise,'" said Anderson, adding that he was "humbled to be able to be in the same room with some of these people."
• A Massachusetts judge has denied actor Kevin Spacey's request to skip his appearance in court on accusations that he groped a young man. The decision by Nantucket District Court Judge Thomas Barrett on Monday means Spacey will have to attend his Monday arraignment. Spacey had argued he should be excused from appearing because his presence would "amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with this case." The 59-year-old Oscar-winning actor is accused of groping the 18-year-old man in a Nantucket restaurant in 2016. He is charged with felony indecent assault and battery. He's said he will plead innocent to the charges. Spacey's lawyer, Juliane Balliro, said in the documents that her client's presence in court would only "heighten prejudicial media interest in the case" and increase the risk of contaminating the jury pool.
A Section on 01/01/2019